Winter Wellness: Staying Fit When The Temperature Drops

For many people, getting fit and staying in shape tops their list of New Year’s resolutions. Quite often, it’s also the first resolution to fall by the wayside when the calendar turns. When winter hits in full force, it can be difficult to maintain your health and physical fitness. The weather grows colder, the days get shorter, and it becomes increasingly harder to gather the motivation to get up off your cozy couch, leave your warm home, and go to the gym.

With the rush of the holidays, the winter season can get busy at times, and there are plenty of distractions that can prevent you from focusing on your health and the responsibilities of taking care of yourself. As the chill air moves in, you need to change your wellness routine to react to the changes of the season. Although spring isn’t far off, it’s the perfect time to look at a few ways you can keep yourself healthy, happy, and fit during the gloomiest months of the year.

Winter Wellness Plan

Instead of neglecting your body’s needs when winter arrives, you can create a winter wellness plan that works for you, helping you stay focused on your health while chasing the winter blues away. Once the holiday season is over, you may experience a time-out in your goal to stay active. Given the weather, exercise is lost to warm, lazy nights and weekends spent indoors on the couch. Shorter days means colder weather, so finding the motivation to stay healthy and fit can be difficult. Decreased physical activity can lay the base for a weakened immune system, leading to a higher risk of developing injury or illness – and you wonder why they call it the blue.

Even if you can’t exercise regularly, you should make an effort to improve your diet and eat healthier. This is especially important if you indulged a little too much over the holidays. A healthy, well-balanced diet should be a major component of your winter wellness plan. In general, listen to your body and be aware of any signals it is sending. The colder weather brings a number of safety risks you may not even consider. Paying attention to signs of illness and patterns of low energy ahead of time is the key to dealing with these issues as they pop up. There are endless winter wellness tips and ideas to ensure you have a plan in place to stay fit, and these are just a few to think about.

Home Exercise Equipment

It’s below freezing out, it’s been snowing all day, and heading off to the gym would require you to dig your car out of the driveway or brave the elements to catch a bus. No wonder so many people go back to bed until April. However, there is a better solution than giving up and hibernating for the next few months. If you can’t go to the gym, bring the gym to you. Home exercise equipment is a great way to stay in shape and boost your spirits in the comfort of your own home during the winter months and beyond.

Stationary Bicycle

With roots dating back to the 18th century, the stationary bicycle is a trusty old staple of the home gym. Equipped with a saddle, pedals, and handlebars like a street bicycle, the stationary bike is designed to be used as exercise equipment rather than transportation. Since home cycling is a low-impact activity, it places minimal stress on joints like hips, knees, and ankles while still providing a workout guaranteed to get your heart pumping. For this reason, it is ideal for people of all ages and especially for those recovering from strokes and orthopedic injuries. Stationary bikes aren’t as demanding of your time as other exercise routines, either – just cycling for half an hour will burn 300 or more calories, depending on the intensity of your workout. Plus, when you eventually lose interest, they’re great for storing in spare rooms and holding piles of old clothes.

Rowing Machine

If you’re in search of a true workout, you’ve found it. As seen on homerower.com, a home rowing machine is a piece of exercise equipment that mimics the action of rowing a boat in water. The rowing machine is simple to learn and ideal for all ages and abilities. Anyone can start rowing and no previous experience is required; only your upper and lower body are needed to achieve a full rowing stroke. Once you discover the proper rowing technique, you will be able to maximize your workouts and increase your potential for energy.

Your feet should be placed securely on the stirrups with shins at close to a 90 degree angle. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, row in a smooth, fluid motion and you’ll get the hang of it in no time. Rowing improves your overall health and is the ultimate cardiovascular workout, a fantastic full-body experience assured to get you sweating. The home rower delivers a diverse range of benefits for your overall health, making it your body’s new best friend.

Muscle Toning and Building. Rowing works out every major muscle group in your body with little pressure on the joints. With every stroke, the rower targets your legs, hips, and buttocks and strengthens your back, arms, and shoulders.

Weight Loss. Rowers help you burn calories at an average rate of 600 per hour, providing increased energy even after your workout is complete. Using a rower consistently is a great way to help you achieve your fitness goals.

Increased Endurance. When you start using the rower, you may feel exhausted at first, but regular exercise increases endurance and you will find yourself gaining stamina. More energy means more drive to do the things you love to do.

It’s Fun! Blast the volume and row to the beat of your favorite tunes. Soon, it won’t just be exercise. You will come to feel that when you’re hopping on your rower, you’re in store for a treat.